FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultrasound transmitting configuration including at least one ultrasound generating device for exposing a medium which has an acoustic medium impedance and a medium speed of sound to ultrasonic waves. The ultrasound generating device has at least two ultrasound transducers which can be excited through actuating electrodes in order to emit ultrasound and which have an acoustic transducer impedance. The ultrasound transducers are separated from one another and disposed alongside one another. An ultrasound lens having an acoustic lens impedance and a lens speed of sound is disposed between the ultrasound generating device and the medium. The ultrasound generating device is acoustically coupled on a coupling side to the ultrasound lens.
Such an ultrasound transmitting configuration is disclosed in German Published, Prosecuted Patent Application 26 09 425.
German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 38 07 568 A1 discloses an ultrasound transmitting configuration for exposing a medium which has an acoustic medium impedance and a medium speed of sound to ultrasonic waves through the use of at least one ultrasound generating device. The ultrasound generating device has at least two ultrasound transducers which can be excited through common actuating electrodes in order to emit ultrasound and which have an acoustic transducer impedance. The ultrasound transducers are separated from one another and disposed alongside one another. An ultrasound lens having an acoustic lens impedance and a lens speed of sound is disposed between the ultrasound generating device and the medium. The ultrasound generating device is acoustically coupled on a coupling side to the ultrasound lens. The ultrasound transducers are associated with a common actuating element.
German Patent DE 195 07 478 C1 discloses an ultrasound transmitting configuration for exposing a medium which has an acoustic medium impedance and a medium speed of sound to ultrasonic waves through the use of at least one ultrasound generating device. The ultrasound generating device has at least two ultrasound transducers which can be excited through actuating electrodes in order to emit ultrasound and which have an acoustic transducer impedance. The ultrasound transducers are separated from one another. An ultrasound lens having an acoustic lens impedance and a lens speed of sound is disposed between the ultrasound generating device and the medium. The ultrasound generating device is acoustically coupled on a coupling side to the ultrasound lens.
A scientific paper entitled "Beam Steering of Shock Waves Using 30 cm Diameter Bidimensional Array", in the 1994 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings, p. 1801-1804, by D. Cathignol and A. Birer, discloses an ultrasound transmitting configuration for exposing a medium which has an acoustic medium impedance and a medium speed of sound to ultrasonic waves through the use of an ultrasound generating device. The ultrasound generating device has at least two ultrasound transducers which can be excited through actuating electrodes in order to emit ultrasound and which have an acoustic transducer impedance. The ultrasound transducers are separated from one another.
The efficiency of the ultrasound transmitting configurations in the prior art is relatively low. Furthermore, the actuation of the ultrasound transmitting configuration is frequently very complex, due to the large number of ultrasound transducers to be actuated.